Guest post by Tom Youso
Getting ready to apply for a promotion or ask for a raise? As you prepare yourself, do you find you don't feel confident that people know who you are and what you do? If you're doing quality work there's no reason you should be flying under the radar. Make sure that when it comes time to hand out bonuses your name is at the top of the list, and if layoffs are on the table, you're considered too valuable to let go.
Of course, no two offices or corporate cultures are alike, so take that into consideration before embarking on this journey and use your best judgment. Be ready to take a good look at what your company is all about and what you're doing to help them succeed. Once you've got that all figured out, you can start working on gaining traction as a valuable asset worth keeping, promoting and compensating appropriately.
Get Linked In
Firstly, if you're not on LinkedIn, a social and professional networking website, you need to fix that. You can even stop reading, open a new tab in your browser, sign up and come back to finish this article. It's that important. The object of LinkedIn is to grow a network of people you've worked with, whether as co-workers or just doing business. As you grow that network, you want to stay visible to keep yourself on people's minds as a valuable employee and resource. To that end, stay in the newsfeed by sharing articles and stories relevant to your network and by keeping your profile up to date.
Apply the same principles offline. Share industry updates via email, over by the water cooler and in meetings. Be sure that the content you're sharing is relevant and useful so you're a blessing rather than a burden. Make an effort to be sociable and get to know who works in your office and what they do.
Become a Sponge
How did Mark Weinberger, chief executive-elect of Ernst & Young, become the next CEO of such a major corporation? According to the Washington Post, in his own words he said, "I became a sponge. I had a thirst for knowledge and would talk with many members of Congress." You see, business leader Weinberger had gotten a job in a Senator's office that he didn't expect to get. When he got to Washington he learned everything he could and talked to everyone he could. He learned and he networked. From there he continued to grow his career.
Demonstrate Agility
Technology and competition have forced businesses to be increasingly agile to respond to new trends and needs in order to stay successful in their industries. When a business changes, so do the daily duties of employees. If your company is evolving, don't be the squeaky wheel who needs constant coddling. Be a leader and problem solver. When you offer to help with a project be sure, first, that it's a good use of your time and will contribute to the overall success of the company. Make the most of opportunities to help educate others and improve your team, rather than just looking out for yourself.
Tom Youso is an accountant and a huge fan of cloud computing solutions that help SMBs simplify their bookkeeping and CSM operations.
